bbb_uk wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2008 at 6:24pm:


You take this so calmly bbb when it is quite outrageous that what is now one of the larger telecoms call carriers in the country is failing to follow clearly given Ofcom rules.

Surely you will at least also be emailing Clive Hillier, Geoff Brighton, and Ed Richards at Ofcom about this quite outrageous and shambolic failure on their part to clearly notify and publicise the cost status of 03 telephone numbers to al major uk telecoms carriers?

Still what can we expect from bloated  and overpaid civil servants who are so complacent that they cannot even be bothered to subscribe to or respond to the dialogue in this important discussion thread.

Do you think we should challenge Mr Hillier that he needs to commence such active participation in this thread in order to be able to do his job properly?

Last weekend I wrote to Alan Cook, CEO of the Post Office, about the existence of 03 numbers and their classification not being shown at all on its website and about the fact that Post Office HomePhone is still calling 0845 and 0870 prefixed calls "Local Rate Call" and "National Rate Call" (as compared to Local and National for actual geographic numbers) on its phone bills.  He said that he had referred the matter for investigation but I am still waiting for any form of response.

I have just checked my last PostOffice HomePhone paper bill that I have just received (no online billing with Post Office Homephone) and see that I have been charged for calls to 0333 numbers to Andrews & Arnold on Saturday 15th September and to Ofcom's Contact Centre on Saturday 22nd December, even though calls to geographic numbers are supposed to be free calls in the evenings and all weekend with PostOffice Homephone.  I see that in each case the call has been charged as a "Multimedia Services" call with a call charge of 3.5p + VAT = 4.11p. These are for call durations of 2 seconds, 7 seconds and 36 seconds and 0 seconds.  There is also a further call of 0 seconds to Andrews & Arnold on Saturday 15th September for which I have been charged 2.5p + VAT = 2.94p.  But as the Post Office Homephone has a connection charge alone of 3p heaven only knows where they are getting these rates from.  They don't even say which Multimedia Services rate they are charging and how can I be charged for a call of zero seconds duration!

Utterly Disgraceful.  I am now writing to Alan Cook, Post Office CEO, to tell him that further to my previous general enquiry they are definitely wrongly charging a Multimedia Services Rate for what should be 01/02 calls that are part of my free geographic calls call allowance for calls of up to 60 minutes in the evenings and at the weekend!

bbb_uk wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2008 at 6:24pm:


So Magsys is correct on this carrier then, as  they are being charged at the moment. http://www.magsys.co.uk/telecom/tarifres1.htm

parttimepar wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2008 at 11:22pm:
I know, that's why I checked.  I was in a state of denial as I couldn't believe an OCP such as SkyTalk would charge despite being told they can't (assuming one has an inclusive call package).

NGMsGhost wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2008 at 6:31pm:
To be honest I don't blame Ofcom because all OCP's are aware of this as they've been well notified by Ofcom so unless Ofcom are notified to the contrary then why should they double-check to see if OCPs are complying!

I personally am surprised that this is true especially, as you put it, for a large provider such as Sky to do this despite clear ofcom rules stating they can't.

I have, naturally, made an official complaint to Ofcom regarding this.

However, I agree that Ofcom could have done more to advertise 03x numbers because right now very few know about it!

Further to an e mail I sent a week ago to Sky I have had verbal confirmation this morning that after a meeting this week on the subject Sky will indeed include 03 numbers in their inclusive packages and I will be refunded the costs of last months 03's to DVLA!

parttimepar wrote on Feb 1^st, 2008 at 2:00pm:


Reference the above Sky have now credited my account in full for all calls made to 03 numbers to date!

According to Sky's website they are now including 03 numbers as part of their packages

UK calls include calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers only (excluding the Channel Islands).
lifted from http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/skyproducts/skytalk/pricesandoptions

Now all we've got to do is to get them to use the buggers themselves!

They try to get you to phone them on an 0844 number for all queries but don't give you an email address - anyone have such an address so I can "suggest" to them that they move to an 03.. number for all their enquiry lines

Just for the record, I called O2 (Carphone Warehouse) this morning about O3 numbers, and first of all they said that they would charge 20p/min, even for free minutes. Then I mentioned OFCOM, and they put me on hold, made some enquiries further up the chain, and then changed their minds and said that 03 calls were included in free call bundles.